


Self Control

by Mohawkeye



Category: Marvel (Comics), Marvel 616, Young Avengers (Comics)
Genre: Bisexual Male Character, Canon Compliant, Character Study, Date Night, Family Drama, Holding Hands, I’m not sure about how tommy and Billy work with Krakoa so I’m making stuff up, M/M, Mixed feelings about Krakoa, Stupidity, Walk Into A Bar, all characters but David and tommy are only mentioned, davids point of view, drinking & dancing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-28
Updated: 2020-12-28
Packaged: 2021-03-10 21:54:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,143
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28384359
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mohawkeye/pseuds/Mohawkeye
Summary: David was never one for loud and crowded bar scenes. Unfortunately for him, he loved Tommy Shepherd. And all Tommy wanted to do was show off their relationship to loud and crowded bars.
Relationships: Billy Kaplan & Tommy Shepherd, David Alleyne/Tommy Shepherd
Kudos: 29





	Self Control

Half of the time Tommy and David started their weekends at a bar. David thought it had something to do with the anonymity of bars that made Tommy enjoy them as much as he did. Maybe that was why Tommy had dragged David to gay bars while he was still trying to figure himself out, because it was anonymous and he didn’t have to worry about what anybody there would say, because he didn’t know or care about them. 

They sat at the bar together drinking and waiting for the turning point. The turning point being the minute when they do a complete one-eighty from small talk about their day to dancing while trying not to bump into other people. It's not that they didn’t enjoy each other’s company while sober, it was just how much David struggled to get into the scene. Unlike Tommy his favourite scenes were more private and much quieter. But unfortunately he loved Tommy and is always going to be there for him when he wanted to try and get banned from another bar.

Something was different this time. Tommy was skipping the small talk and drinking the cheapest and most alcoholic thing on the menu. David tried to get him to engage but he would give one worded responses to every question. In less than five minutes Tommy slammed down another drink he practically poured down his throat. He jumped to his feet and grabbed David’s hand to pull him off his seat.

David had never heard this song before but Tommy seemed to know exactly what his next move was, resulting in Tommy dancing like a mad man while holding the hand of a barely moving David. 

“I missed you all week!” Tommy yelled over the music, leaning in to kiss David.

“I missed you too, honey,” David said, quieter than Tommy. “Are you okay?”

Tommy nodded, “Yeah, yeah, bad week.”

Tommy was dismissive but David could feel him shake in his hand. David didn’t mention it until the shaking became so much more frantic. Before the song ended Tommy let go of David’s hand and pushed him away when he tried to touch his face. “Gottagotothebathroom.”

He ran away, leaving a cold breeze as he went. David sighed and went back to their seat at the bar, order another beer. He had half expected Tommy to back by the time the beer reached him, but he was still nowhere in sight. David decided that if he didn’t come out by the end of the next song he was going to find him. 

Tommy’s vibrating was something he had more control of now than he had ever had previously. The only time it had seemed out of control in the slightest was when he had gotten home after a fight with his brother about family issues. ‘Family issues’ wasn’t really narrow enough, especially when it came to Tommy’s family. David remembered when Kim got first in her class on a history test and it was the only thing his family talked about for the week. Tommy’s family probably had a few more interesting things to talk about. The family issue that got Tommy so worked up was of his birth family, they were threatening to have the police go to his and David’s house if he didn't pay them back money he supposedly owned them. Billy wanted to pay it off.

He was yanked out of his thoughts by a muffled bang that made him jump. He decided that it was a firework, until Tommy wandered out of the bathroom, eyes wide with his mouth hanging open as his chest frantically breathed. 

“That’s your ‘I did something bad’ face.” David said, sipping his beer. Tommy smiled while his eyes darted between David and the ground. He put his arm around David's waist and took the beer from his hand, finishing the last quarter of it while David looked on at him with a glare and a grin. Tommy put the beer down on the bars counter and went to the exit of the bar, beckoning David to follow with the hand on his hip. David's smile dropped, “Tommy what did you do.”

“We’ll talk about it outside the bar, Davie.” Tommy pressed a kiss to David’s shoulder. 

David flinched as he smelt something burning, “Tommy?” he said as he looked back into the bathrooms where a group of people had gathered around. 

“It’s fine, it was just a sink, no one got hurt.” Tommy whispered to him, the music was turned off a few seconds ago. “They probably have insurance.”

Tommy walked outside while David stayed behind for a moment, until he followed him to grab his hand. David pulled him away from the sidewalk into an alleyway. Tommy smiled before holding David’s arm and giving small but fast pecks to his lips. David gently pushed Tommy away from him with a hand on his boyfriend's chest. David looked to his side at the people passing by.

“Baby, they’re not watching us,” Tommy promised, putting a hand over the one on his chest.

David shook his head. “I pulled you in here because, I believe, we should talk about what had just happened.”

Tommy sighed, clearly trying his best to bite down on his snarky tone, “Let’s talk about it when we get to my place.”

“We will talk about it now, Slugger.”

“It was nothing, Can you just drop it? Please, Davie.”

David’s gaze softened, “Okay, I won’t force you to say anything.”

Tommy kissed him again to thank him. David pulled away when Tommy didn’t, not feeling too keen on the idea of having a romantic interlude in an alley that smelt like a dumpster. He held Tommy's hand and guided him out. 

Tommy unzipped one of his jackets. The man was a living furnace so even if David felt a shiver run down his spine at the thought of taking off his jacket, Tommy probably thought it was as hot as summer. Then David noticed what shirt Tommy was wearing. “Oh no, Tommy you need to get rid of that shirt.”

“I know you want me naked, but-.”

David cut him off, “I still can’t believe you wore that to your own brother's wedding.”

“My shirt is bad? Have you seen the beanie you're wearing now?”

“I’m cold!”

“Beauty is pain.” David rolled his eyes. 

“Do you remember at the dinner for the wedding, where they seated Wanda and I at the same table?” David chose these words carefully. If something was stressing Tommy out enough to get the reaction it did, there was half a chance it was about his family.

“Yeah.” Not quite the response David was bargaining for. “I don’t know how you manage to date the son of someone who… did all that to your friends.”

“I get over things quickly, and everyone’s fine now.” David said. Tommy stopped walking and looked over his shoulder to David. “I mean, because Elixir brought some of them back, he’s an omega after all.” David felt the need to exaggerate some of. Even on an island where everyone should be resurrected; Blindfold, a precog who committed suicide, and Rockslide, a mutant who did nothing wrong, can still get into mutant heaven, despite the gate being a revolving door.

Tommy nodded.

Tommy is biologically a mutant but because the mutants were unsure if it was his soul, one that was the son of a person experimented on, that influenced his physical body to make him a mutant he wasn’t allowed on Krakoa. That was the formal statement given to Tommy as to why he and his brother weren't allowed on the island. They both knew it was bullshit. He’s not allowed because of who his mother is. Those who aren’t residents of Krakoa aren’t supposed to know about the resurrection protocol's.

“Do you want me to fight her for you?” Tommy asked, David chuckled before locking eyes with him and realising he was dead serious. “‘Cause I will. Billy too.”

“I don’t want you to fight Billy, or anyone, honey.” Tommy looked down at the pavement filled with more potholes than a road just before a dirt track. David asked, “Do you want to fight your family?”

“It would spice up get-togethers.” Tommy said after a moment of thought.

“You're a Maximoff, how much more interesting can meet ups with your family be?” David asked, Tommy shrugged.

“Well, I'm not really a Maximoff, I'm a Shepherd. Not like those sheep bros. My biological family also has drama, this one time my aunt Christie saw someone shoplift from Walmart while she was working there. She jumped over her counter and chased him and punched him in the back of the head and he got a concussion. Her boyfriend left her and she lost her job. But like, the Maximoff drama is more at a global scale which makes our lives very public. I’m basically royalty. Also it's ridiculous how much avengers and superhero discourse I am forced to get into. I don’t know anything about that big new york superhero stuff! I mostly hang out in small towns to do hero work, it’s crazy what those people get into.” Tommy coughed at the end of his speech before breaking up his momentum to say, “Sorry if i’m talking too much.”

“I’m going to fight whoever said you talk too much.” David said, heightening his voice to mock Tommy.

“You said it."

“I was joking,” David said, staring at his hands, wondering if it would be appropriate to hit himself for messing with his boyfriend. “Sorry.”

Tommy hummed in acceptance to the apology and let go of David’s hand to wipe away the sweat on his hand on his jeans only to go back to holding his hand. David leaned his head on Tommy's shoulder. “So is your family stressing you out.”

Tommy had an unreadable expression. “...It’s about my apartment. Since you moved out to go to Krakoa, Eli accepted to be my roommate. And Billy is trying to interfere with the thing and I got mad at him so I started to avoid him.” Tommy told him, shooting a glare to someone who had walked past and heard the part about Krakoa only to shake their head.

The rumours about Krakoa are astounding. Humanity believes it to be some kind of sex obsessed nudist island. David often found himself wondering how that is the worst thing the humans could think of when the reality of Krakoa is so much worse. Or Maybe Krakoa was much better? David couldn't decide. The problem with resurrection is that one can become desensitized to death. Was it good to spend your life not fearing death? David had become bolder recently, letting his boyfriend drag him to other countries and watching less and less of what he is saying and doing.

Why did David go on with his thoughts about Krakoa? Because; “Was Billy interfering because he didn’t want me on Krakoa?”

Tommy nodded. “Before I came to meet you he had… like teleported to me? I felt like he crossed a line. I just got so worked up about it. Sorry if my shaking was scaring you.” Tommy threw his head back, looking up at the night sky that was covered in dark clouds. “A few small things happen and suddenly I’m a teenager underestimating how much firepower I have.”

David looked down, squeezing Tommy's hand to pull his mind away from wherever it was wondering. “I’m always grateful for my family but sometimes I'm thank god for them."

“I love your family! They're so nice. Christmas was so good with you guys.”

“So your first Christmas spent was good?” David asked.

“Eh, it was more of you guys’ christmas while I was just there.” Tommy responded, “I like celebrations but I’m still Jewish.”

David hummed in agreement.

Tommy gasped and turned to face David, “Wait.. I can’t believe you secretly got me to talk about why I was upset.”

“Not on purpose.”

“Not on purpose,” Tommy repeated to himself like the statement was preposterous. “Billy actually said that you moving out will weaken our relationship.”

David shook his head. They called every night and he visited Tommy when he could, if anything time away from each other made them realise how much they want to be together.

“I know right! I’m going to love bullying Elijah in his own house.” Tommy grinned, pulling David’s hand up to his lips to kiss it. “Remember when you lived with dumb-first-name Chavez? You loved that!”

“Yeah but I’m still going to miss living with you.”

“Luckily you’re staying a whole weekend! We can do anything.”

“Nothing illegal,” David said, pointing a finger at Tommy.

“David, the man who stole and crashed the blackbird, saying he wouldn’t do anything illegal.”

**Author's Note:**

> Eli I know you’re reading this and I want u to know that David’s beanie is so ugly it made Wanda try to end the mutant race.


End file.
